The present invention relates to the utilization of lightweight, high temperature intermetallic compound alloys in gas turbine engines.
The efficiency of high performance gas turbine engines increases as the temperature difference between the inlet and exhaust temperatures increases. As a result, engine designers are continually raising the combustion and exhaust gas temperature of such engines. In addition to increased operating temperatures, there is also a large incentive to decrease the weight of the rotating components as much as possible, to increase the thrust to weight ratio of the engines, particularly for aerospace applications. Thus there is a desire to have components that are lighter than existing components.
Two phase gamma TiAl based intermetallic alloys have been considered as potential materials for aerospace and automotive applications, but their low ductility and fracture toughness have prevented them from being used in applications where components are subjected to localized stress, impact and vibration.